Gas producer



.im 17, 1939. K. KOLLER 2,143,987

GAS PRODUCER Filed May 6, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet l Jan. 17, 1939. K. KoLLER 2,143,987

' GAs PRODUCER Filed May 6, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 17, 1939. K KOLLER 2,143,987

GAS PRODUCER Filed May 6, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 1,7?. for:

. same are obtained will appear from the following Patented Jan. 17, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE GAS PRODUCER Karl Koller, Budapest, Hungary Application May 6, 1936, Serial No. 18,247 12 claims. (o1. 4ss5.2)

tribute the combustible in a particularly uniform manner.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a charging device for the combustible which cooperates with the agitator, so as to correlate both the charging and agitating processes.

it is a further object of the invention to arrange an agitator for automatic adjustment with respect to the location of the top layer of the combustible.

Other objects and the manner in which the description.

Asis well known to those skilled in the art numerous types of `gas producers having movable agltators have been suggested before. With one type of devices of the kind aforesaid, the agitator consists of a rotary rake placed on bearings on the nxed cover or' the gas producer in arial alignment with the same. The rotating hgers of this rake describe concentrical circular paths, the

agitator being arranged for automatic adjust.

ment in the direction of height in order to avoid too great a resistance. Arrangements of this type,

however,` are accompanied by the drawback that the top layer of the combustible is treated solely in concentrical circular paths, whereby a uniform agitation o the entire surface is not ensured.

With another type of gas producers, known in the prior art, the agitator consists ci an inclined arm placed on bearings'in a swivelling manner' on the nxed gas produced, and the body of the gas producer itself is arranged rotary in a manner .such that during the rotation of the gas producer body the end of the swinging agitator arm describes a somewhat leaf shaped path. Although this treatment of the combustible column ensures somewhat greater uniformity than that above mentioned, yet this arrangement results in certain disadvantages, as, on one hand, the position of the agitating arm in the direction oi' height is not adjustable at all and, on the other hand, the entire body of the gas producer together with the column of combustible, e. g., coal, must be rotated.

Furthermore gas producers having a rotary cover and an agitator arranged on the same are known, in which the agtating device consists of two vertical stirring arms provided with knifelike blades, which during the rotation of the cover describe circular paths. Here again the treatment of the combustible column is all but un- ,form, and besides an automatic height adjustment of the stirring arms is not ensured, whereby the danger of frequent interruptions of the operation of the gas producer is encountered.

The present invention aims at improving the gas producers having rotary covers and agitating devices of the types above referred to. The invention further tends to provide a charging device which'cooperates with the agitator according to the invention in a manner advantageous for the uniformity of the entire 'operation ofthe gas producer.

According to the present invention the agitating' device is eccentrcally arranged on the rotary cover of the gas producer. The agitator comprises a tubeor rod which passes through the cover and can be rotated together with the same about the axis of the gas producer as well as with respect to the same about its own axis. This tube or rod carries, on its bottom end, one or a plurality or agitating arms provided with one or several agitating teeth, while its top portion is connected, by means of transmission members, with an automatic adjusting device. This adjusting device lifts the agitator automatically whenever the rotating agitating arms working on the surfaceof the combustible column meet a resistance owing to a rise of the level of the combustible column, while as soon as the level of the combustible column drops the agitating device is permitted to drop correspondingly owing to its own. Weight,

Thus the agitating device according to the invention executes a movement composed of'two i rotary movements in a manner such that the agitating tooth or teeth describe peculiar loop curves with the result that a perfectly uniform treatment of the top layer of the combustible column is obtained. Simultaneously the rotating agitating tooth or teeth, which in contradistinction to the known agitatihg devices `operate on the surface of the combustible column, effect a levelling of the surface. By varying the proportions of the two rotary movements, the shape and distribution of the loop curves, above referred to. can be optionally varied. The invention further contemplates an automatic adjustment as to height of the agltating device, by arranging the same for being lifted or dropped in dependyencyupon the level of the combustible column.

Preferably the agitating device is driven by a driving gear arranged for rotation on the cover and driven, for example, by an engine mounted on the cover. The driving gear cooperates with a xed path arranged in axial alignment with the gas producer so that during the rotation about its own axis the driving gear moves along this xed path. According to this arrangement the ,over is rotated by the rotated agitating tube i self.

'I'he agitating tube is coupled with the driving gear preferably by means of a planetary drive,

`which forms the automatic ,adjusting device,

whereby the planetary wheels connected with the agitating tube by means of transmission members move Valong a path mounted on the driving gear, whenever the agitating device is lifted or dropped by the combustible column, i. e., whenever the adjustment as to height is required to be corrected. The planetary drive ensures a very sensitive regulation of the height position of the agitating device which responds at once to variations of the level of the combustible column. However, the planetary drive may be replaced by any other known adjusting device.

The invention further contemplates an automatic charging device, which is eccentrically arranged on the rotary cover, and preferably driven from the same engine shaft as is the driving gear. 'I'he transmission of movement takes place through a drive, for example a friction ratchet drive, which reduces the number of revolutions of the driving shaft and permits of a quick adjustment of the amount of combustible charged per time unit in dependency upon the level of the com bustible column. This drive may be coupled with the planetary drive above mentioned in a manner such that when the combustible column rises or drops, and the agitating tube rises or drops accordingly, the amount of combustible charged per time unit is automatically adjusted so that the level of the coal column can be always maintained at a predetermined position of height.

In the drawings affixed to this speciilcation and forming part thereof an embodiment of the invetitionv is illustratedrdiagrammatically by Way of example. K

In the drawingsl 1 is a longitudinal section of the upper portion of a gas producer according to the invention,`taken on line I-I of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 -is a plan view of the producer, partly in section, on line II--II of Fig. 1, the upper portion of the charging device being removed.

Figs. 3 and 4 are a longitudinal section and a plan view, respectively, of the half conical distributor.

Fig. 5 is a detailed front elevation of the friction ratchet drive and Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view of the loop curves described by the agitating tooth or teeth.

Referring rst to Figs. land 2, the body I of the gas producer is provided with a xed, watercooled hollow cover ring 2, on which the cover 3. which is likewise water-cooled and the rim 4 of which projects into the hollow space of the cover ring 2, is arranged for rotation by means of ball bearing 5. The standards 6 (not shown in Fig. 2) supporting a xed toothed rim i are also arranged on the hollow cover ring 2. The gas exhaust connecting branch is shown at Il.

On the rotary cover 3 there are arranged the :ing i5 by means of ball bearings.

agitating device, the charging mechanism and the drive for both the same.

The agitating device arranged eccentrically on the cover comprises a vertical tube 8, which passes through the cover 3 and is arranged for rotation with respect to the same and carries yon its bottom portion a horizontal cross tube 9, which on one end is provided with a vertical branch ID pointed at the bottom. The cross tube 9 is referred to belowl as agitating arm while the branch Ill will be called agitating tooth. In the interior of the tubes 8, 9 and ill cooling pipes i2 are provided. The tube 8 is guided and supported, on one hand, by the bottom lll, formed as a bearing, of a cylindrical casing i5 mounted on the cover 3 surrounding the tube which casing is open at the top and receives cooling water in its annular bottom space, and, on the other hand, by a shaped body i6, which is mounted on the upper portion of the tube 8 and has a somewhat double T-shaped cross section, and which carries on each of its two opposed legs a rack il, which mesh with the toothed wheels i8 referred to below.

The drive of the tube 9 is effected from the shaft 2E) of an electromotor i 9 mounted on the cover 3 through toothed wheels 2l, 22, shaft 23 and worm 24, which meshes with a toothed rim 25 provided on the driving gear body 26. The peculiarly shaped driving gear body 26, which is rotatably supported by means of a ball bearing 28 mounted on the flange 2l of the casing I5, possesses, apart from the toothed rim 25, two more toothed rims, i. e., the spur rim 29 which meshes with the fixed toothed rim 'L and the bevel gear rim 30, with which mesh two opposed bevel gear wheels or planetary wheels 3 i.

The bevel gear wheels 3l are mounted on the outer ends of the shafts 32, the inner ends of which carry pinions i8 meshing with the racks ii. The shafts 32 are placed on bearings in boxes 33, which are supported by an annular bottom portion 34, which is arranged for rotation with respect to the driving gear body 2S and the cas- The bottom portion 34 also serves for guiding the shaped body i6, as shown in Fig. 2.

The charging device is arranged on the cover also ecoentrically, preferably juxtaposed to the agitating device. A xed charging funnel 40 is mounted on the platform of the gas producer (not shown), opening into a vertical pipe branch 4|. This pipe branch is abutted with respect to the charging funnel by means of a ball bearing 42 and adjoins a casing 43 mounted on the rotary cover 3. A distributor drum 45 having a somewhat double-sickle or Z-shapedcross section, is arranged in the casing 43 for rotation about a horizontal shaft 44. The walls 45a, b, c of the drum 45 form two pockets 46a and 4Gb. The inclined lower tubular part 4'! of the casing 43 is connected with the vertical tube 48, which is laterally arranged on an upper closing disk 49 and is formed with a lateral sleeve 50. To the upper closing disk 49 there corresponds a. lower closing disk 5I and a tubular part 52 laterally arranged thereon, which is formed with a lateral sleeve 53. The lower flange of the tube 52 is mounted on the cover 3, in which an opening 54 is provided which forms a continuation of the branch 52. Below this opening a water-cooled distributor stump 55. having half conical shape and mounted on the cover 3 is arranged, as shown, in particu.- lar, in Figs. 3 and 4. The two tubular parts 48, 52 are arranged in staggered relation.

Intermediate the upper closing disk 49 and the lower closing disk I a cylinder 5B is pro-l in its center a hub 58 surrounding the shaft 51,

' four radial intermediate walls 59 projecting from this hub and dividing the cylinder in four chambers 60a, b, c', d having cross sections of quarter circular shape, the radial measures of which correspond substantially to the diameters of the pipe branches 48 and 52. 'Twoof the chambers, e. g., 60a, and 60e, are open at thetop while the two others, e. g., lb and 60d, are closed at the top. On the upper circumference of the` cylinder 56 a bevel gear rim 6| is provided, which meshes with a bevel gear wheel 62.

The bevel gear wheel 62 is mounted on one end of the shaft 63 which is supported in the bearings @il mounted on the cover 3`. On the other end of the shaft 63 a friction ratchet wheel 65 is provided, which is driven from the shaft 20 of the electroemotor l 9 by a well known friction ratchet drive. As shown in detail in Fig. 5, the friction ratchet drive comprises an eccentric rod 66 jour naled on the shaft 2U, which is flexibly connected by means of guides 6l and Eli with a friction ratchet shoe 69 loosely gripping the friction ratchet wheel 65. The system of joints is supported by a guide lll, which is jointed at its lower end to a nut ll, which is prevented from rotation and is provided with a screw bolt l2. bolt 'l2 is guided in a standard mounted on the cover 3 and is arranged for rotation by means of -a hand wheel lil, whereby the nut ll can be adjusted as to its position of height. The shaft 63, referred to above, carries near its center the pin ion l5, which meshes with the pinion i6 mounted on the shaft M, the latter pinion serving for driving the drum 45.

The operation of the embodiment of the invention described above is as follows: When the driving gear 26 is caused by the engine i9 and the transmission members 20--25 to rotate about its own axis, it moves positively along the ffixed toothed rim l, i. e., it also rotates about the extended geometrical axis of the gas producer. The rotary movement of the driving gear body 26 is transmitted by means of the planetary gear wheels 3l resting on the toothed rim 30, shaft stumps 32, pinions I8, racks I1 and the shaped body IE onto the tube 8 rigidly connected with the latter. Thus the tube 8 rotates like the driving gear about its own axis and simultaneously about the gas producer axis, forcing also the cover 3 to perform a rotary movement about the axis of the gas producer. Thus the agitating tooth IIJ describes, in the top layer of the combustible column filling the xed gas producer, peculiar loop curves. Fig. 6 illustrates these loop curves for the special case of about 4 rotations of the cover 3, which are shown in full lines, while curves for some additional rotations are shown in dotted lines. In this particular case the proportion between the number of revolutions per hour of the tube 8 or the cover 3 about the gas producer axis, and that of the tube 8 about its own axis amounts to about 1:3. The shape and the distribution of the loop curves varies for varying proportions and varying distances of the agitating tooth, or teeth, from the 'axis ofthe tube 8.

As shown in Fig. 6, the agitating tooth starts from a point a and reaches, after a full revolution about the tube axis and a third of a revolu- The screwl tion about the gas producer axis, i. e., after one third of a revolution of the cover, a point b, which'is displaced relatively to the point a about an angle of about 130. At the point b the agitating tooth changes its direction of movement and after performinga movement similar to that described above, reaches the point c, and after another similar movement the point d, at which point a full revolution of the cover is about ended. From d the agitating tooth reaches successively the points e to p. At the point p, i. e., after about 4 full revolutions of the cover, the agitating tooth is returned to a position close to its starting position, the point p, however, being somewhat displaced relatively to the point a. Now, the cover performs its fifth revolution, following the paths shown in dotted lines, which closely adjoin the paths shown in full lines and overlap the same, only a few dotted paths being shown for the sake of greater clearness. After another four revolutions of the cover the starting position again is approached, and the agitating tooth starts to describe a new set of paths, which again are displaced relatively to both the curves shown in full and in dotted lines. This procedure 'is repeated in a manner such that the agitating tooth practically covers every point of the surface of the combustible column.

The sequence and distribution of the loops indicates that the agitating tooth lll stirs the entire top layer of the combustible column withperfect uniformity. In order to show clearly the path through which travels the agitating tootlrin Fig. 6 three successive loops, g, h, i described by the agitating tooth during one revolution of the cover, are distinguished by hatching.

`While the agitating tooth works on the top layer of thecnarge, the stirring arm 9, which is supposed to always operate right above the charge in the producer, levels the surface of the same. If the arm is covered with combustible, for example, owing to overcharging, i. e., if it meets a resistance, the movement of the tube 3 is stopped. Simultaneously the shafts connected with the tube are prevented from turning and thus the toothed rim 3D of the driving gear body 26, which continues its rotary movement, now rotates the planetary gear wheels 3|, about their own axes together with the shafts 32 and pinions I8 in a sense opposed to that of the driving gear body. The rotating pinions i8 now lift the racks I1 meshing with them and the body carrying these racks, whereby theltube 8 together with the agitating arm 9 and agitating tooth In is lifted. As soon as the agitating armhas been lifted above the charge and is permitted again to turn freely, the planetary wheels 3l will be free to be carried around by the rim and will not exert any lifting action on the tube.

On the other hand, when -the`combustible column in the gas producer drops, the tube starts to drop owing to its own weight, and a procedure contrary to that described above takes place, the agitating arm always working on the surface .of the combustible column. Herefrorn results that the agitating device can respond to variations of `the level of the combustible column instantaneously in such a manner that the surface of the combustible is always uniformly levelled, and the top layer thereof is uniformly treated inV a manner which excludes the occurrence of troubles or r:

interruptions of operation.

The charging device operates as follows: The shaft 63 is moved intermittently by the driving shaft 20 of the engine I9. The transmission of 70 of combustible dropping through the gradually movement takes place in a manner such that with each rotation of the shaft 20, by means of the eccentric 66 and the system of guides 61, 68, 10, the friction ratchet shoe 69 is forced onto the circumference of the wheel 65 and is moved forward thereon about a small predetermined distance, whereby an intermittent rotation is imparted to the wheel 65. Thereafter the friction ratchet shoe 69 is lifted from the circumference of the wheel 65 and pulled backwardly, is then again forced onto the wheel and moved forward in a well known manner. The distance, about which the shoe 69 moves forward 'during one revolution of the shaft 2U, and thus the angle, about which the wheel 65 together with the shaft 63 is rotated, can be optionally varied Within wide limits by adjusting the nut 1I by means of the hand wheel 14. The friction ratchet drive is adapted to considerably reduce the number of revolutions of the driving shaft 20 and to permit of a ready and effective regulation of the charging device. A

The rotary movement of the shaft 63 is transmitted by means of pinions 15 and 16 onto the shaft 44 of the distributor drum 45, and by the bevel gear wheel 62 and the toothed rim 6| onto the cylinder 56, in a manner such that the drum 45 as well as the cylinder 56 are rotated intermittently.

The coal or other combustible supplied to the further revolution of the drum, the oblique wall 43a' of the casing 43 and the coal in the pocket is separated by the same from that in the casing 43. This is about the position shown in Fig. 1. Now as soon as during the further revolution of the drum the intermediate Wall 45e has about reached its horizontal position, the coal in the pocket 46a starts to drop into the inclined branch 41 and therefrom through branch 48 in one of the chambers 60a or 60e, open at the top, of the cylinder 56,` which likewise is rotated intermittently, depending upon which open chamber is just below the branch- 48. This continues until the pocket 46a, is completely emptied and its entire content of combustible is conveyed into the the corresponding open chamber of the cylinder 56, asshown in Fig. l. In the meantime, however, the opposite pocket 46h has been filled, and is ready to be emptied duringy the further revolution of the drum into the successive open chamber of the cylinder 56.

' As far as the operation of the cylinder 66 is concerned, the lling of one of the open chambers 60a, 60e is started as soon as the corresponding chamber is connected with the branch 48, and is ended as soon as the entire content of one of the pockets 46a, 46h is dropped into'the same..l While one chamber is lled, the cylinder 56 performs almost one quarter of a revolution. After the chamber, which just has been filled, has left the branch v48, it performs a further tion intermediate the closing disks 49 and 5| until it reaches the branch 52. At this instant the filled chamber starts to be emptied, the content opening pipe branch 52 and opening 54 onto the half-conical distributor stump 55 and further dropping along the same into the gas producer. The peculiar shape of the distributor stump, which quarter revolug-i rotates together with the cover 3, results in the coal being dropped into the gas producer always along the half-circular lower edge thereof, at points which during the further rotation of the cover 3 are at once levelled by the agitating arm and are also at once stirred by the agitating tooth I; thus the charged combustible always is placed just in front of the rotating agitator. It must further be noted that the rotary movements of the drum 45 and the cylinder 56 are so correlated that the coal content of either pocket 46a, 46h is conveyed into either one of the open chambers 60a, 60e.

The agitating device and the charging device cooperate in av manner such that when the combustible column, and therefore also the agitating device, drops-a fact which can be noted at once on the 'part of the operator in charge at the upper end of the tube 8 or at the racks l1-the rate of revolution of the drum 45 and the cylinder 56 is increased by adjusting the hand wheel 14, whereby the amount of combustible charged per time unit is increased correspondingly. If, however, the combustible column rises, the rate of revolution, above referred to, is reduced. The arrangement of the agitating device and the charging device as illustrated is advantageous in that both` devices are driven by one and the same shaft 20.

The Acover as Well as the agitating device are cooled, for example, by a circulatingwater cooling system. The circulation of the water is indicated in Fig. 1.

.Numerous advantages are obtained with a gas producer according to the present invention. 'I'he agitating device describes curves which substantially cover the entire top layer of the combustible. The agitator is arranged for combined stirring and levelling operations. The agitator further is arranged for automatic adjustment in accordance with the height of the top layer of the combustible. 'I'he charging device is correlated with the agitating device so as to adapt the charge to the requirements of the agitator.

Various changes may be made in the details disclosed in the foregoing specification without departing from the invention or sacricing theadvantages thereof.

I claim:

1. A gas producer comprising in combination a rotary cover, a movable agitating device and a charging device, both arranged eccentrically on said cover, common driving means for both said devices and gearing means operatively connected with said driving means for imparting to saidv agitating device a planetary rotative movement about its own axis and about the axis of said cover, said agitating device comprising a. planetary drive adapted to adjust the position of said -agitating device in vertical direction, :said charg` ing device comprising a friction ratchet drive, and means fr coupling said drives adapted to adjust the friction ratchet in dependency upon the planetary drive. V

2. A gas producer comprising a rotary cover, a charging device and an agitating device eccentrically arranged on said cover, common driving means for both said devices and gearing means operatively connected with said driving means for imparting to said agitating device a planetary rotative movement about its vown axis and about the axis of said cover, said agitating device comprising a vertical stirring member Apassing through said cover, a horizontally directed arm carried by said member and a tooth extending downwardly from said arm and automatic control means for adjusting said stirring member in vertical direction in dependency upon the height of the charge in the producer so as to allow said arm to level the surface of that charge.

3. A gas producer comprising a rotary cover, an agitating device eccentrically arranged on said cover, driving means and gearing operatively connected with saiddriving means for imparting to said agitating device a planetary rotative movement abut its own axis and about the axis of said cover, said agitating device comprising a vertical stirring member passing through said cover, a substantially horizontally directed arm carried by said member and a tooth extending downwardly from said arm, automatic control means arranged at the top of said vertical member for adjusting its height inl dependency upon the height of the charge in the producer so as to allow said arm of always operating right above said charge, a toothed rim arranged coaxially with said cover and means operatively connecting said gearing with said rim.

4. A gas producer according to claim 3, in which the automatic control means comprises a planetary drive' coupling the vertical stirring member with the gearing and meshing with the toothed rim to move in contact therewith durin the control of said vertical member.

5. A gas producer according to claim 3, in which the automaticcontrol means comprises a planetary drive coupling the vertical stirring member with the gearing and meshing with the toothed rim to move in contact therewith during the control of said vertical member, a shaft forming part of said planetary drive, pinions mounted on said shaft, and rack meshing with said pinions and rigidly connected with said vertical stirring member.

6. A gas producer according t claim 2, in which a casing surrounds the vertical stirring member, the bottom of said casing forming a bearing for said vertical member and an annular flange on said casing serving as a support for the planetary driving gear.

7. A gas producer comprising a rotary cover, an agitating device eccentrically arranged on said cover, driving means and gearing operatively connected with said driving means for imparting to said4 agitating device a planetary rotative movement about its own axis and about the axis of said cover, said agitating device comprising a vertical stirring member passing through said cover, a substantially horizontally directed arm carried by said member and automatically active means operatively `connected with said vertical stirring member for lifting said member, whenever said horizontal arm is braked by the charge in the producer.

8. A gas producer comprising aY rotatablecover, an agitating device arranged eccentrically on said cover, a motor, a stationary toothed rim arranged on the producer coaxially with said cover, said agitating device comprising a drive adapted to adjust the position of said agitating device in vertical direction, a pair of planet wheels diametrically arranged and operatively connected with said agitating device, a driving gear body and three toothed rims forming part of said driving gear body of the agitating device, one rim being operatively connected with said motor, the second one with thestationary toothed rim on the producer and the third one operatively connected with said pair of planet wheels.

9. A gas producer 'comprising in combination a rotary cover, an agitating device and a charging device, both arranged eccentrically on said cover, common driving means for both said devices, gearing means operatively connected with said driving means for imparting to said agitating device a planetary rotative movement about its own axis and about the axis of said cover, said agitating device comprising a drive adapted to adjust the position of said agitating device in vertical direction, and means, adapted for hand regulation, inserted between said driving means and said charging device for intermittently operating said device.

10. A gas producer comprising in combination a rotary cover, an agitating device and a charging device, both arranged eccentrically on said cover, common driving means for both said devices-y gearing means operatively connected with said driving means for imparting to said agitating device a planetary rotative movement about its own axis and about the axis of said cover, said agitating device comprising a drive adapted to adjust the position of said agitating device in vertical direction, and means, adapted for hand regulation and including a friction ratchet gear, inserted between said driving means and said charging device for intermittently operating said device.

11. A gas producer comprising in combination, a rotary cover, an agitating device and a charging device, both arranged eccentrically on said cover, common driving means for both said devices and gearing means operatively connected with said driving means for imparting to said agitating device a planetary rotation movement about its own axis and about the axis of said cover, said agitating device comprising a drive arranged to adjust the position of said agitating device in vertical direction. l2. A gas producer comprising in combination, a rotary cover, a movable agitating device and a charging device, both arranged eccentrically on said cover, common driving means for both said devices, gearing 'means operatively connected with said driving means for imparting to said agitating device a planetary rotation movement about its own axis and about the axis of said cover, said agitating device comprising a planetary drive arranged to adjust the position of said agitating device in vertical direction, and coupling means adapted to correlate the operations of both said devices.

KARL KOLLER. 

